6 Tips To Actually Meditate “Effectively”

Meditation and its studied benefits have been around for quite a while. Not only does the practice help to rewire the circuitry of the brain, but it can also help in a variety of other areas, including the reduction of stress, increased self-awareness, and an overall improved sense of well-being.

Unfortunately, learning the practice is not easy and, for beginners, may even seem to be impossible. One misconception people have of meditation is that they must “clear their mind” whilst practicing, otherwise, they are doing it wrong. Unless you have the capacity to reach an elevated state of enlightenment within seconds, this is impossible. 

Rather, you should understand that meditation simply means bringing awareness to the rising sensations in the present moment, including the appearance of thoughts. In other words, meditating is the practice of noticing the mind chatter in the brain and observing what happens to them as you become aware you are thinking. But there is more, and this article will reveal the ways you can better improve your overall practice and understanding of meditation.

Mitochondria and Meditation

One crucial aspect of meditation is its connection with mitochondria. Mitochondria, the “battery” of your cells, helps power your meditation as it does with the rest of your body. While some believe that meditation is a time to “turn off the brain,” this belief could not be more misleading. During meditation, neurons play an extremely active role in trying to align your brain waves into the frequency of a deep meditative state. This requires a ton of energy, and it is the mitochondria that are responsible for supplying such energy. 

Understanding the link between meditation and mitochondria is going to be essential to improving your meditation, and here are some ways to make sure your mitochondria stay happy.

Avoid Kryptonite (Energy Zappers)

Creating the right conditions for your mitochondria to perform optimally is going to be the goal here. This can be done by incorporating just a few simple habits. First, avoid junk food. Junk food brings in toxic substances to which your mitochondria are easily susceptible to. Mitochondria must spend energy resisting the junk food-derived substances, so it’s best to just avoid them altogether.

The second thing you can do is to seek out sunlight. Sunlight on the skin energizes the body in ways that artificial light will not do. In fact, artificial light, especially later in the day, can disrupt mitochondria and circadian rhythm that disrupts sleep. This brings us to the third habit, which is getting good sleep. Healthy sleep protects the mitochondria from damage that could occur without a good night’s rest. 

Lastly, minimize your toxins. Toxic substances can not only interfere with mitochondria function, but they can reduce the total amount of mitochondria you have in general. Insufficient amounts of mitochondria will affect your ability energy to focus, and therefore meditate.

Incorporate High-Intensity Interval Training & Add Good Fats

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) and resistance training can do wonders for your mitochondrial function. Improvements have been shown after training for just two weeks.

Mitochondria function has been shown to work best with a steady supply of the right fuel. Such fuel can be found in consuming undamaged medium-chain triglycerides like those found in coconut oil and grass-fed butter.

Use A Meditation App & A Meditation Headband

Utilizing some technology can go a long way in improving your meditation. One way to do so is by using meditation apps which can provide you with some needed guidance and timed structure in your practice. 

Meditation headbands offer you real-time feedback on your meditation practice each second. When the band senses that your mind has been captured by thought, it will play sounds that inform you that you have lost focus. You, therefore, have the ability to track your meditation progress in a way that quantifies your ability to focus and be relaxed, helping you stay motivated.

Heart Rate Variability (HRV)

HRV allows you to bring conscious awareness to your heart rate. In doing so, you can get a better idea of your mental and emotional well-being by tracking your heart rhythm when faced with stressful situations. Moreover, HRV allows you to see how your nervous system responds to meditation, so you can better seize control over your sympathetic nervous system.

The benefits that meditation can bring to one’s overall life and health cannot be understated. Some of the most high-performing people credit meditation as one of their most important habits. However, the practice can be difficult to maintain and see improvement in. In reading this article, you hopefully have learned a few more tools to utilize in your development of this practice.